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Artis Gilmore spent five seasons in the ABA, wearing the number 53 for the Kentucky Colonels, and leading that league in total rebounds for all five seasons in which he played. He would be the number one pick in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft, taken by the Chicago Bulls, which followed the disbanding of the ABA.

A switch to a new, and many would say more competitive, league would not result in any severe drop-off in production for Mr. Gilmore. Playing with Chicago, the Spurs and briefly, the Celtics, through 1987-88, Gilmore achieved the following in the NBA:

15,579 points

9,161 rebounds

.599 field goal percentage (1st all-time)

1,747 blocks

1.9 blocks per game

10.1 rebounds per game

4,114 free throws

Did you know............Gilmore was the 1971-72 ABA Rookie of the Year and MVP?